Clinical profiles and survival outcomes of adult patients with multiple myeloma at a tertiary hospital in the Philippines

Abstract

Objectives The Filipino population is largely underrepresented in the currently available literature on multiple myeloma (MM). Herein, we aimed to determine the clinical profile, treatment, and outcomes of adult Filipinos with MM. Material and Methods The records of 74 patients with MM seen at our institution from 2016 to 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Results The median age at diagnosis was 54 years, with the majority lumped in the 40–65 years age group. At diagnosis, anemia (hemoglobin <100 g/L) was present in 36 (64.3%) patients, but hypercalcemia (calcium ≥2.75 mmol/L) and azotemia (creatinine ≥177 umol/L) were seen in only 9 (20.0%) and 18 (34.0%) patients, respectively. Novel drugs (bortezomib, thalidomide, and lenalidomide) were used in 54 (84.4%) patients for frontline treatment. The overall response rate was 70.0% and the median overall survival (OS) was 60 months. On univariate analysis, only hemoglobin and the serum albumin levels affected survival. Conclusion Aside from the trend of a younger age at diagnosis, there are no unique clinical characteristics of MM seen in Filipinos. The longer OS may reflect the availability of newer drugs in the recent decade, but larger studies are needed to investigate the prognostic significance of several clinical and treatment parameters.